Pro Bike Gallery: Michele Scarponi on a new Specialized at the Giro

Michele Scarponi's new Specialized Tarmac

Specialized-sponsored teams showed up in Belfast, Northern Ireland, for the start of the Giro d'Italia on something new. Astana's Michele Scarponi is on a 52cm version of the new frame. Official information on the bike is still being held under wraps, but a few changes are obvious. The seatpost clamp is now entirely internal, for example. Photo: Caley Fretz | VeloNews.com

Michele Scarponi's new Specialized Tarmac

With teammate Vincenzo Nibali aiming for the Tour de France, Michele Scarponi will make a run at the GC for Astana. Note how clean the seatpost/frame interface is on the new frame. Photo: Caley Fretz | VeloNews.com

Michele Scarponi's new Specialized Tarmac

Michele Scarponi's new Specialized Tarmac

The old Tarmac's seat tube extended above the top tube by a few centimeters to make room for the seatpost collar. But the seatpost clamp mechanism is now internal, so there's no need for the extra bit of tube. Photo: Caley Fretz | VeloNews.com

Michele Scarponi's new Specialized Tarmac

The new frame retains an oversized head tube, just like the old one. Those FSA stickers on the bar tape were a major point of contention when Nibali won the Giro last year — sponsors all want the prime spots. Apparently FSA won in the end. Photo: Caley Fretz | VeloNews.com

Michele Scarponi's new Specialized Tarmac

Michele Scarponi's new Specialized Tarmac

The seatpost clamp is very clean. Zip-ties on the brake housing was a temporary fix; mechanics set the bike up with the proper frame plug a few minutes after this photo was taken. Photo: Caley Fretz | VeloNews.com

Caley Fretz

Associate Editor Caley Fretz can be found chasing races along the backroads of Europe or testing bikes and gear in the mountains outside Boulder, Colorado. If you can't find him there, check the coffee shop across from VN World Headquarters.